Every film industry has a group of works that changed the course of its journey and its cinematic landscape for the better. These films not only redefined the way cinema was viewed in their own languages and shattered existing formulas, but also inspired contemporary directors of the era and many aspiring filmmakers who dreamed of venturing into Tinseltown one day, and thus became landmark works. In the Telugu film industry, it was the directorial debut of Ram Gopal Varma (known as RGV), Shiva (1989), is one such film that also created shockwaves across the country, thanks to its aesthetics that stood apart from everything Tollywood had produced till then.
Featuring Nagarjuna, Amala and Raghuvaran in the lead roles, the crime thriller revolves around a student who gets dragged into the underworld of Hyderabad after he decides to stand against the local don, and is no longer willing to put up with Dadagiri or the criminal activities he carries out using college goons. Now, 36 years after its original release, a newly remastered 4K version of Shiva has hit screens, offering today’s viewers the chance to catch this fashion pioneer on the big screen. The filmmakers also completely redesigned the film’s sound for the re-release, so it fits modern theatrical sound systems.
“No one, including me, has created another hero like Shiva after that.”
But what made Shiva, the Shiva, and how does it remain a benchmark in Telugu cinema even after three decades? “As I was trying to prepare it for re-release, I noticed something. Although people keep talking about its influence and impact on audiences – and I don’t think there is any other film about which there have been so many discussions in Telugu cinema – rarely has anyone made something like Shiva. It’s very surprising. I can think of 100 versions of The Godfather (1972), but I can’t remember a single attempt to recreate Shiva,” shares RGV during an exclusive interview with SCREEN.
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Speaking openly about the film’s hero, Shiva, played by Nagarjuna, he says, “The character is designed as a self-respecting man, whose courage stems from his sense of principles and justice. That is the true definition of a hero artistically. These days, most heroes just have swagger. Some are a bit eccentric or eccentric. But no one, including me, has tried to create another hero like Shiva, whose strength stems from dignity.”
Watch SCREEN’s exclusive interview with Ram Gopal Varma here:
Delving deeper into the script, RGV shares, “Many of the lines in Shiva are actually taken from real life. At that time, most films had a lot of dialogue; characters would go on talking for several pages. Then suddenly came Shiva, where many spoke often in monosyllables. I think this was also the first time colloquial language was used in cinema. Most of the dialogues seem as if they are coming from within the characters, without giving the impression that the actors are repeating the lines after memorizing them. I think a combination of all these elements created the effect,” Overemphasis on various elements, including dialogues, using artificial wording that we often see these days, takes away the realism and realism of the situation. I didn’t do that in Shiva.
Why Raghuvaran in the role of Bhavani?
As much as Shiva was a Nagarjuna and Amala film, it also belonged to Raghuvaran, who played the menacing antagonist, Bhavani. Pointing out that he could not think of any other actor but himself to play the character at that time, even though he had seen only one Raghuvaran film before that, RGV says: “He had that strength, those piercing eyes, a certain kind of personality, a languid personality. Once he entered, he could commandeer a room with his screen presence. Bhavani’s traits were loosely inspired by the character of Omar Sharif from Mackenna’s Gold (1969) and those of some Hindi film villains of that time.” era, and above all, Raghuvaran had a wonderful bass voice.
After its release, Shiva became such a hit and such a phenomenon that RGV remade it in Hindi under the same title, with the central trio of stars reprising their characters. However, the director did not create a remake of the film and made some changes in the Hindi version. For example, while the Telugu version featured Shiva’s niece, Keerthi, being killed by Bhavani in the end, in the Hindi version, Asha (Amala) becomes the scapegoat.
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Director Ram Gopal Varma with Raghuvaran on the sets of Shiva. (Credit: Instagram/@rgvzoomin)
Why did Shiva end differently in Hindi and Telugu?
When inquired about what prompted him to take this creative decision, RJV says: “I always felt there was something wrong with killing off Keerthy, especially because the character was absent for about an hour before she was kidnapped. It felt like we got a character out of the blue and killed her off to give a preview of the climax. On the other hand, since Asha is present throughout and the love story is intertwined with that, if she were the victim, it would provide greater emotional resonance in the film. “They felt climactic. Those who watched the Hindi version only felt that the climax was perfect. But those who watched the Telugu version for the first time did not like the change. As of now, I don’t know which is the better option. But when I shared the change and my reasons behind it with Nagarjuna and the producers, it wasn’t like I was against anyone. “
Meanwhile, Shiva’s fate is depicted differently in the two films. In the Telugu version, he reunites with his lover (Asha) after killing Bhavani, giving the character a sense of hope and subtly indicating that his life will go on after that. In contrast, the director chose a completely different visual style for the Hindi version. There, Shiva is shown sitting on the edge of the elevator shaft after eliminating Bhavani. It was a low angle shot similar to his introduction. However, the shot visually represents him “alone at the top.” So why did Shiva’s story end in such contradictory ways in the two films?
Director Ram Gopal Varma with Nagarjuna on the sets of Shiva. (Credit: Facebook/@RGV)
“Even though he killed Bhavani, he also suffers an incredible loss with Asha’s death. So the man broke down. Despite taking revenge and punishing Bhavani, he also lost. So I thought ending it on a tragic note was the right thing. On the other hand, in Telugu, since Asha was alive, it led to a happy ending,” he concludes.
(Tags for translation)Shiva
